Improvement in buckles for hat-bands



I. H. FRANCIS. BUCKLES FOR HAT-BANDS.

Patented Feb. 6

o OOOOOODOOFWOOODOOOO d o g MPETERS, FHOW-LITHOGRAPHgR. WASHINGTON. nsc.

which form a part of this specification.

tachable tongue-piece; Fig. 5, the attachable FR N iE f- BA MM w aaYIe D- i"jf IMPRQVE'MENTI BucKLiz sroR HAT e'ANo's'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 87-l 19, dated February 6,1877; application filed December 5, 1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IsAAo H. FRANCIS, of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Band Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

My object is to produce a fastening for hatbands to adapt them for use without sewing onto the hat, the design being to supply different colored bands for hats so that a single hat may be varied in its appearance by applying different bands. The means for readily effecting this places the change or changes within the control of the wearer, and according to his fancy, and saves the expense and trouble of applying by the ordinary method of sewing. The fastening consists of a buckle stamped or formed of thin sheet metal, to an upset lip of which the band is permanently attached by means of an elastic gore or spring, said gore or spring being attached to the band by a separate upset-metal binding-strip. An attachable tongue-piece serves to make the fastening of the band upon the hat, by providing said tongue-piece with an upset lip, which is readily interlocked with buckle-lips, so that each band is provided with its complete fastening in which the gore or spring is adapted to fit the band to the shape of the hat-body.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a hat-band with my improved fastening applied thereto; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 3, a view of the inner side of the buckle, showing the elastic gore or spring; Fig. 4, a similar view with the attongue-piece, and Fig. 6 an enlarged View of Fig. 2.

The end of the band a is provided with an elastic gore or spring, b, the attachment being made by a thin metal strip, 0, bent over at each end in opposite directions to clamp respectively the end of the band and the edge of the gore or spring,.each lap of the strip being punctured to form points which bite into and hold the parts together. The attachment of the elastic gore or spring to the buckle is made to the inner side of the buckle by a lip, d, which, being upset from the buckle, is punctured to form holding-points, and bent over and clamped. The gore or spring is to adapt the band to the actual form of the body of the hat. The lip 01 may have a diagonal hold upon the gore, or it may be straight, but I prefer the diagonal hold as being the best, as it makes the pull upon the gore or spring only at one point, and that is at the greatest diameter of the hat-body, and gives the band a uniform and close set. The other end of the band is fastened to the buckle by means of an attachable tongue-piece, e, laid crosswise on the buckle over the band and interlocked by means of a bent lip,f, with hooks g upset inward from the opposite edges of the buckleplate, the edged of which is turned in to form, with the turned-in toothed edge of the tonguepiece, the clamp for the band.

In applying the band, the end to be fastened is laid over and upon the inner side of the buckle, and with its edges under the hooks g, and the bent lip, f is then put under these hooks, and the band turned over upon the tongue-piece, so that the stretching of the band holds the tongue-piece in place, and causes it to bite and clamp the band against the turned edge of the buckle-plate. The fastening is easily and quickly made, and holds the band in place, so that no sewing is required.

A bow covers the outer side of the buckle, and is secured by basting-stitches, or it may be pinned on.

I claim- 1. A. hat-band, having its buckle-fastening connected thereto by an elastic gore or spring, for the purpose stated.

2. The combination, with a hat-band provided with an elastic gore or spring attachment, of an attachable tongue-piece, c, for fastening the band.

3. The buckle-plate, provided with the inwardly-bent lapped hooks g, in combination with the upset lip f, for securing the band to the hat, as described.

4. The combination, with the buckle and the elastic gore or spring, of the punctured upset up to form a diagonalfastenin'g for vthe c, and the attachable tongue-piece a, all congore or spring, for the purpose specified. structed and combined for use, as specified.

5. The combination, with the hat-band and ,7 fln testimony that I claim the foregoing I- its elastic gore or spring buckle-connection, of have affixed my signature in presence of two the double upset clamping-strip 0,, as and for witnesses. v t v e p the purpose specified. ISAAC H. FRANCIS.

6. The hat-band fastening herein described, Witnesses consisting of the buckle-plate, the elastic gore v j WILLIAMI. BRIGHAM, or spring and band-fastening lip f, and strip 1. M. MYERS. 

